Singapore 24 Hours Worship Centre

I received an email from a passionate worshipper in Singapore. He said that the Lord has inspired him and a sister to start a 24 Hours Worship Centre in Singapore.

They are launching their first 24 hours worship and intercession:

ENTHRONE JESUS

(A Prayer & Worship Marathon)

22 September 2006

22/9 - 6pm to 23/9 - 6pm

Location :

Goshen Restaurant

(within The High Point Halfway House)

1 Lorong 23 Geylang

Singapore 388352

They hope that the centre will ultimately become a sanctuary where any believers can come anytime 24/7 to worship the Lord

For more information kindly contact John @ 81271855 or email him at hr24worship@hotmail.com

I have also decided to put up at tag-board to encourage worshippers to participate by giving their feedback and respond. The primary purpose of TPWC is to create a platform for worshippers to share and get connected with other worshippers. Look forward to your input.

Blessings

TPWC

FROM PRAISE TO WORSHIP

The principal definition of the word PRAISE is the Hebrew word "HALAL" which means to be clear in sound, to shine, to make a show, to boast, to be clamourously foolish, to rave, to celebrate. Praise is an expression of the soul. That is, it directly involves our mind, our will and our emotions. The Psalmist David repeatedly stated that our soul is to bless the Lord (Psalm 103:1), boast in the Lord (Psalm 34:2) and praise the Lord (Psalm 146:1). This expression of the soul is to manifest itself in many ways, as is seen in the Word of God. These ways include:

- Singing (Psalm 47:6-7)
- Shouting (Psalm 47:1)
- Clapping of Hands (Psalm 47:1)
- Lifting of Hands (Psalm 134:2)
- Dancing (Psalm 150:4)
- Bowing (Psalm 95:6)
- Musically (Psalm 150)

THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PRAISE

a) Spontaneous Praise

King David exhorts us in Psalm 103 to praise the Lord because of what He has done. Just think! He:
- Forgives all our iniquities (v3)
- Heals all our diseases (v3)
- Redeems our lives from destruction (v4)
- Crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies (v4)
- Satisfies our mouth with good things (v5)

DON'T FORGET HIS BENEFITS!

As we realize what a mighty God He is and what He has done for us, we are stirred emotionally and we spontaneously erupt with praise! Spontaneous praise is therefore BIRTHED IN OUR EMOTIONS. Spontaneous praise is enjoyable, emotional, brimming with enthusiasm. And rightly so! We should praise the Lord for all that He has done.

b) Sacrificial Praise

But then there are other times when praise is the last thing we want to do. Unfortunately, by acting, or rather reacting only according to our feeligs, we rob ourselves of real fulfilment in the other aspect of praise - THE SACRIFICE.

Hebrews 13:15 exhorts us to offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. The word "sacrifice" means the action of slaughtering, killing or slaying. In other words, we are required to kill those emotions, slaughter those feelings that are opposed to praising the Lord. Many times I don't feel like praising the Lord. It is during those times that I can fulfil my obedience to the Scripture and exercise the "Sacrifice of Praise"

Therefore sacrificial praise is BIRTHED IN OUR WILL! The most repeated phrase in the Psalms is "I WILL". (over 200 times)

The results of both spontaneous and sacrificial praise are awesome! God responds to praise! Psalm 22:3 tells us that He inhabits, He dwells in the praises of His people. And as a result of of God's response, something supernatural takes place. we transcend from the dimension of praise into the dimension of worship

THE DIMENSION OF WORSHIP

Whereas PRAISE is an expression of the SOUL, WORSHIP is an expression of the SPIRIT. The word "worship":

- In Hebrew is "shachah" which means to depress, prostrate, bow(self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop.
- In Greek the word is "proskuneo", which means to kiss, to fawn or crouch to, to revere, to adore.

By this we can see that in worship there is a divine, intmate communion, a closeness of relationship that occurs between God and man, the Creator and the created. Worship is an expression of the spirit, because "God is Spirit: and they that worship Him MUST worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24)

As we spontaneously and sacrificially praise the Lord we are lifted into the realm of the spirit, where a pure and holy, love relationship is developed with God. At such moment of transcension, you realize that you are on holy ground. Time is of no importance. Nothing else matters and you are intensely aware of the fact that you are communing with God in spirit.

As you worship the Lord, He reveals Himself to you in a precious, loving way. As the definition, "to kiss" suggests, there results an intimate spiritual union with the Spirit of God. There is a strengthening, a refreshing that occurs in your spirit. Nothing can be compared to that type of communion, which is a result of your spontaneous and sacrificial praise.

An extract from : Restoring Praise & Worship To The Church - by Howard Rachinski

TPWC's Remarks:

For the many previous posts, TPWC has been challenging and inspiring you that the way to His holy presence is through our daily choice to cultivate the spirit of thanksgiving & exercise the practise of private praise (both spontaneously and sacrificially). It is an upward spiritual progression ... by walking into ... standing in His presence and then sitting in the holy of holiest beholding His glory. It is a blessed journey! It is opposite to the often downward path where many believers tend to take in their daily encounters ... to walk in the the counsel of the wicked ... stand in the way of sinners ... and sit in the seat of mockers. These are path of degeneration and there is no blessing!
Whereas if we choose daily the path of progression; yes no matter what our circustances may be, we will stand strong in the Lord like the tree that is planted by the waters. Because in His presence is fullness of Joy and the Joy of the Lord shall be our strength. So come what may - even the storms of life, "we shall be a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers" (Psalm 1:3). Life in the inner courts is stable and victorious!

For the next the coming posts, TPWC will be touching on Life in the inner courts - a series of worship topics. Like to encourage that while we receive the truth & learn the secrets of the inner of courts, that we do not forget that the way to the Father still begins with the spirit of thanksgiving and the daily choice of praise (both spontaneous and sacrificial - God dwells in our praise). This is the way to maintain our lives as disciplined lifestyle worshippers!

copyright (c) TPWC

PRAISE QUOTABLES

"Praise is the greatest work God's children can ever do. It is the loftiest expression the Saints can ever show. The highest manifestation of spiritual life is seen in men praising God." Watchman Nee - Assembling Together

"Praise is not something we experience occasionally, but is a garment which will be worn constantly by the last-day church (Isaiah 61:1-3). The garment of praise is the perfect answer for the depressions which are common to this generation."
E. Charlotte Baker - On Eagles Wings

"The sacrifice of praise is the choice of every believer. You cannot be a successful worshipper without recognising the importance of your will in offering a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving."
Terry Law - The Power of Praise and Worship

"Praise is a door to God's presence."
Warren and Ruth Myers - Praise is a door

"To praise the Lord for something He has done for us is easy, to praise God after we have been emotionally stirred toward Him is not difficult, but to praise the Lord as a sacrifice is a different matter. The way we feel from day to day fluctuates and changes, but God's Word is unchanging. We do not rely upon feelings to be in an attitude of praise but rather we recognise that His unchanging Word and His constant characteristics demand a people with a constant and unchanging attitude to His Word and commandment. We are therefore enjoined to offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips (not our feelings), giving thanks to His name."
B. Maureen Gaglardi - The Key of David

"Praise releases the power of God into our lives and circumstances, because praise is faith in action. Praise is a permanent acceptance of what God has brought into our lives. We enter this attitude of praise by an act of our will, by a decision to praise God regardless of how we feel."
Merlin R. Carothers - Power in Praise

Until the practice of praise in private is continuous and free, the practice of corporate praise will be inhibited by fear, self-consciousness and discomfort. The practice in the corporate sense is absolutely indispensable to the maximum worship experience."
Jack R. Taylor - The Hallelujah Factor

"Praise is not a mass function, it is the response of an individual to His God. When a group of individual choose to unite in praising, their individual praises may blend into a group response, but every expression of the praise comes from a separate individual."
Judson Cornwall - Let Us Praise

"Warfare through praise does not dictate to God what He should do ... it praises Him for His wisdom and might, recognising that He is capable of setting the problem in the best possible manner. We do not focus on the battle or the enemy; we look only to the solution - God!" - "But the people taht do know their God sahll be strong and do exploits." (Daniel 11:32)
Bob Sorge - Exploring Worship

"Praise is born in faith, is an instrument of war and a method of creating an atmosphere for the presence of the Lord. Praise requires effort, will power and boldness." - TPWC

Copyright (c) TPWC

SACRIFICE OF PRAISE

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Hebrew 13:15

The Principle Of Sacrifice Of Praise Is In The Bible
- Cain & Abel (Gen 4:3-5)
- Noah (Gen 8:20-21)
- Tabernacle of Moses (God demanded the shedding of innocent blood for the covering of
man’s sin)
- Calvary became the final sacrifice but God continues to require a sacrifice from His children

The principle of sacrifice originated in the heart of God. What is important to notice, however, is that God required a sacrifice. When God asked for a sacrifice He asked the people to bring the very best of their substance and to present it in a very specific manner to the Lord as an offering.

The purpose for each sacrifice was the same. God demanded the shedding of innocent blood for the covering of man's sin. Although the need for blood sacrifce was fulfilled at Calvary, the principle of sacrifice has not been abolished in the New Testament. God continues to require a sacrifice from His children (Heb 13:15)

God is not interested only in the praise that we give Him in times when things are going well. He is after that praise that comes in the midst of great trial, great difficulty, grief, sickness, temptation, relational difficulties, and financial problems. He still requires praise. He still demands it. When we give it to Him in time of difficulty it means all the more to Him. We are operating according to the principle of sacrifice, and God is pleased.

Difference Between Praise And Sacrifice Of Praise

Praise – Praise flows easily when we are in a right relationship with God. It is a spontaneous flow when we think of all that He has done for us

Sacrifice of Praise – The sacrifice of praise is offered to God when things do not seem to be going right. It is:
- Praise offered in spite of the way things are going
- Praise offered in faith and obedience
- Praise offered because of who God is

Sacrifice of praise is continual praise & is audible (Psalm 34:1 – I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth)

Examples In The Bible

1) Paul & Silas (Acts 16:22-34)

Physical Situation - Severely flogged (stripped & beaten) and thrown into prison for their faith. No reason to praise God

Spiritual Situation - At midnight (darkest moment) they started to pray and praise God

Result - A violent earthquake shook the place, prison doors were opened, chains broken and jailer & family received salvation

2) King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:1-22)

Physical Situation - A vast army invading Israel

Spiritual Condition - Inquired of the Lord and proclaimed a fast. The Spirit of God assured them that the battle belong to the Lord. They obeyed the Lord by sending the choir ahead of the army into the battlefield.

Result - The Lord set an ambush against the enemy and they were defeated.

How To Offer Sacrifice Of Praise?

1) Make A Decision
- Determine beforehand that you are going to praise God at ALL TIMES AND IN EVERY SITUATION.

2) Start Now
- Praise God every day – all day
- Cultivate the habit of praise

3) When Troubles Come
- Remember your decision
- Put on the garment of Praise – An act of your will
- Remember that praise in the difficult times allows God to work on your behalf
- Praise in times of trouble brings glory to the Father

4) Begin By Faith
- The way you begin to offer the sacrifice of praise is by faith. Praise Him for Who He is and what He has done. Then offer thanks to God for the situation even if you do understand it
- Acknowledge that He is in control of your situation and praise Him for making a way of deliverance, even though you can see no way out of the problem. Then set your mind on Him and on the promises of His Word
- Once you have started to make the sacrifice of praise – CONTINUE. Declare aloud the Word of God that proclaims victory and deliverance
- This offering of praise in obedience (& faith) will set your mind on Him and not the circumstances. As you keep proclaiming His power & glory to your circumstances, you will see how small it actually is.
- Soon you will find yourself joyfully entering into the full dimension of His Presence as you continue to release your spirit in the sacrifice of praise. Then start to sing, to dance, to glorify & magnify Him and He will make a way of salvation & deliverance for you!

copyright (c) TPWC